Hay-fork.



H. UHE.

HAY FORK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. 1913- 1,14=9,480. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

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HAY FORK.

APPLICATION nun NOV. 1a. 1913.

1,149,480. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

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HERMAN UHE, OF SABPY COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

HAY-FORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed November 18, 1918. Serial No. 801,762.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN Una, a citi- Zen of the United States, and aresident of Harpy county, in the State of Nebraska, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Forks, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to hay forks for use in loading and unloading hay,straw and the It is the object of my invention to provide in a fork ofthis kind an improved trip mechanism for operating the barbs at the endsof the fork prongs, means for adjusting the trip mechanism so'that theseveral barbs will operate in perfect unison, means for adj usting theposition of some of the prongs in a multiple-prom fork so as to increasethe capacity of the fork when used in short hay or straw, and to providea multiple-prong fork which may be readily taken down so as to occupybut little space in shipping or storage.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of afour-prong fork embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionof the same on a plane above the trip mechanism, Fig. 3 is a detail planview of the central portion of the main cross-frame, Fig. 4 is a similardetail of the stay-frame, Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section showingthe central ortions of the main eross-fraine and of tie stay-frame, Fig.6 is a side view of a two-prong fork embodyr ing the invention, certainparts being broken away, Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the same on aplane above the trip mechanism, Fig. 8 is a detail section on the planeof the line .r--'v of Fig. (l, Fi". 9 is a detail vertical sectionthrough one of the prongs, showing lho barb in release position, Fig. 10is a detail vertical section on the plane of the line of Fig. 9,intermediate portions of the prong being broken away, and Fig. 11 is adetail transverse section of one of the prongs on the plane of the linezz of Fig. 9.

In the structure shown in Fig. 1 there is a cross-frame consisting ofbars 1 and 2 arranged at right angles to each other, the upper bar 1having a notch in its lower edge, the lower bar 2 having a notch in itsupper edge, and each of the bars fitting into the notch in the otherbar. A U-bolt 3 fits diagonally across the juncture of the framebars, asshown in Figs. 3 and 5, a plate 4 extending across the top of the bar 1from one side of the U-bolt to the other, a similar plate 5 extendingacross beneath the bar 2, and nuts (3 being rovided on the lower ends ofthe bolt by which the plates and bars are secured firmly together. Theends of the frame-bars l and 2 are turned downwardly, the ends of thebar 1 extending between the side-bars of the prongs 7, and the ends ofthe bar 2 extending between the side-bars of the prongs 8. The prongs 7are rigidly secured to the bar 1 by rivets 9, and the prongs 8 arepivotally connected to the bar "2 by rivets l0. Beneath the cross-frameand extending parallel therewith is the stay-frame of which theprincipal member is a channelbar 11 of which the ends are secured to theside-bars of the prongs 7, as shown. At the center of the channel-bar11, and fitting around the lower side thereof, is a block 12 of whichthe ends form lugs 13 extending transversely at the sides of thechannel-bar. The rongs 8 are adjustably connected with said lugs 13 bythe stay-rods 14, of which the outer forked ends are connected with saidprongs, and the inner forked ends straddle the lugs 13, as shown inFigs. & and 5. The inner end portions of the stay-rods have severaltransverse openings therein, and bolts 15 are passed through saidopenings to pivotally connect the rods with the lugs 13. When the boltsare passed through the outermost openings, as shown in Figs. 2, 4: and5, the prongs 8 are held parallel with each other. (hen the bolts arepassed through the openings nearer to the inner ends of the rods, saidrongs 8 are spread outwardly so as to diverge toward their lower ends.The block 12 is secured in position by means of the center-bolt 113which .r

passes up through the block and channelbar, and the upper threaded endof the bolt is screwed into the lower plate 5 of the U- bolt connectionfor the frame-bars 1 and 2.

Each of the prongs 7 and 8 consists of two fiat parallel side-barsdisposed in spaced relation to each other, and at their lower ends saidside-bars are jointed together and pointed so as to readily enter thehay or straw to be lifted by the fork. At the lower ends of the fiatspaces between the sidebars the barbs 17 are pivotally mounted ontransverse pins 18. The barbs are so formed that they may be turned ontheir pivots to positions approximately parallel with the prongs, asshown in Fig. 9, and when in this position they are completely sheathedbe tween the side-bars. To the upper ends of the. barbs are pivotallyconnected the lower ends of the trip bars 19 which extend upwardlybetween the side-bars and at their upper ends are pivotally connected tothe lock-levers 20. Said lock-levers are approximately triangular inform, are pivoted on pins 21 passing through the upper corners thereofjust below the ends of the framehars 1 and 2, and to the inner corner ofeach lever is pivotally connected the outer end of one of the trip-rods22. Said triprods extend inwardly from the lock-levers, and each of therods is threaded at its inner end and is screwed into the upturnedportion of one of the connector-plates 23 and 24. The connector-platesare each ivotally connected with an arm of the tripever 2.) Thetrip-lever rests on the upper side of the stay-frame, being pivoted onthe center-bolt 16 so as to he swingable in a horizontal plane about theaxis of said bolt. The trip-lever has one arm 26 which is longer thanthe others. and the outer portion of said arm is extended upwardly to aplane slightly below the main cross-frame. To the end of the arm '26 arope .27 or the like is attached and extends therefrom through aneye-piece 28 secured at the upper end of one of the prongs 7 by means ofthe rivets 9, as shown in Fig. 8. \Vhen the arm 26 of the triplever ismoved to the left, or awayfrom the eye-piece 28, the trip-rods are eachmoved inwardly, the lock-levers are swung inwardly from positions suchas shown in Fig. 9 to positions such as shown in Fig. 6, the trip-bars19 are pushed downwardly, and the barbs 17 thus moved to substantiallyhorizontal positions as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The trip-bars 19 have aslight lateral bend therein near their lower ends, so that when theparts are in the positions just described the greater part of saidtrip-bars lie between the side-bars of the prongs. Downward pressure ofthe load u on the inwardly extending portions 0 the barbs causes anupward thrust upon the trip-bars, and said thrust is received upon thelocklevcrs in a direction radial to the pivot-pins 21 so that there isno tendency to rotate the lock-levers about their pivots. In otherwords, the pins connecting the trip-bars and lock-levers are ondead-centers when the barbs are in the horizontal or set position.

Movement of the trip-lever to the right from the position shown in Figs.1 and 2, forces the triprods and lock-levers outwardly, pulls upwardlyon the trip-bars 19, and thus moves the barbs to the release positionshown in Fig. 9. The trip-lever is usually moved to the right by pullingon the trip-rope 27, since at the times that 1t is desired to releasethe load the fork is distant from the o erator.

Should t e uniformity of the connections from the trip-lever to thebarbs be disturbed, as by bending or wear of some of the parts, so thatone or more of the barbs will not reach full release position at thesame time as the others, and thus not be properly sheathed in the)IODTS, such condition may be quickly remc ied by varying the lengths ofthe members connecting the trip-lever and lock-levers Theconnecting-plates 23 and 24: form, in effect, a continuation of the.trip-rods plate formin a connecting member of variable length Eetweenthe trip-lever and the respective lock-lever. To vary the length of sumconnecting member it is merely necessary to disconnect the plate fromthe triplever, rotate the plate about the rod to screw it further on oroil the same, and then again connect the plate to the trip-lever. Theplates 24. which form parts of the conucctions to the barbs on theadjustable prongs 8, are provided with several holes for engagement withthe connecting-pins on the trip-lever. Thus when said prongs 8 arespread out to the diverging position for use in short straw, as beforedescribed. a similar adjustment is made of the plates 2% upon thetrip-lever, so that the barbs on the adjustable prongs will still beoperated in unison with the barbs on the fixed prongs 7.

In the two-prong fork shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the structure isessentially the same as that of the four-prong fork, except that thereis omitted therefrom the bar 2 of the cross-frame, the adjustable prongs8, the stay-rods 14 and block 12 of the stay-frame, and two of the armsof the trip-lever. In place of the U-bolt 3 there is a U-shapcd clip 30secured upon the central part of the frame-bar 1, the center-bolt 16connecting said clip and the channel-bar 11. In the use of the two-prongfork the hook of the hoisting mechanism is engaged with the bar 1between the sides of the U-clip 30, whereas in the use of the four-prongfork the hook of the hoisting device is engaged directly with the U-bolt3.

It will be apparent that for shipping or storage the four-pron fork maybe readily taken 21 art so that afi its members will lie flat an thusoccupy but little space. In the two-prong fork all the parts liesubstantially in a single plane when the tri -lcver is turned to therelease position. it will also be seen that, owing to the small verticalspace occupied by the trip mechanism, the capacity of the fork is verylarge in proportion to its height, as the prongs may be inserted intothe hay up to the stay-frame and thus almost the entire length thereofutilized in carrying the load.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Pat cut is:

1. In a multiple-prong hay fork, a hori- 22, each rod and itsconnector-,

zontal cross-frame, a stay-frame arranged below and parallel with thecross-frame, prongs having their up er portions rigidly connected withboth tiie cross-frame and stay-frame, other prongs having their upperends pivotally connected with the crossframe and having parts adjoiningthe upper end connected adjustably with the stayframe, barbs pivoted onthe prongs, a triplever, means connectin the trip-lever with each of thebarbs, an means for varyin the connections between the trip-lever andthe barbs on the adjustable rongs.

2. In a hay fork, a lura ity of vertical prongs, transverse mem ersconnecting said prongs to each other at their up er ends, barbs pivotedon the prongs near t e points thereof, lock-levers pivoted on the prongsnear the transverse members, said lock-levers being movable in verticalplanes, each locklever being substantially trian lar in form and havingone corner extending inwardly, the upper corner being pivoted to theprong, bars connecting the lower corners of the lock-levers to therespective barbs, a triplever pivoted at the center of the transversemembers and movable in a horizontal plane, and rods connecting thetrip-lever to the inner corners of the lock-levers 3. In a hay fork, aplurality of prongs, a cross-frame and a stay-frame connecting the upperend portions of the prongs to each other, barbs pivoted on the prongsnear the points thereof, lock-levers pivoted on the pron 5 near thestay-frame, means connectmg t e barbs and lock-levers, a trip-leverpivoted on a vertical axis at the center of the sta -frame, said leverhaving an arm for each 0 the prongs, and members connecting the arms ofthe trip-levers to the lock-levers for the respective prongs, saidconnecting members each comprising a plate oivotally connected with thetrip-lever, and a rod screwed into said plate and connected at its oposite end to the lock-lever.

n testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two witnesses.

HERMAN UHE. Witnesses:

ERNEST RUFF, C. B. TOWER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatenta, Wellington, 1). 0."

